


It's a Chess Day

by intensedreams



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Dementia, F/F, end of life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-27
Updated: 2015-11-27
Packaged: 2018-05-03 17:10:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,776
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5299508
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/intensedreams/pseuds/intensedreams
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Emma decides it’s a chess day. She strolls into the care home, chess set under her arm. She whistles. Because it’s a whistle-y kind of day. The sun is shining and Emma’s sunshine will be inside too. It is a good day.</p>
            </blockquote>





	It's a Chess Day

**Author's Note:**

> I was sobbing whilst writing the end of this. Like, vision blurred, glasses steaming up sobbing. Glorious experience. Whether that angst translates into this too? We shall see.  
> Sorry for the pain.  
> Not really :p unbeta-d - thoughts and feels are always appreciated <3

The nurse looks up from her desk, eyes crinkling at the corners. There she is; the blonde woman who comes every day, diligent and loyal, to visit the prickly brunette. The blonde woman always comes. She’s never missed a day in the last twenty years. It’s the kind of devotion that makes the nurses heart ache and swell up all at the same time.

She’s intrigued by the pair, like chalk and cheese yet somehow, oddly complimentary.

The brunette is demanding, her imperious nature coming to the fore whenever the blonde arrives. She takes her seat beside the other woman, smiling free and bright. But the nurse can see the tension in her shoulders, the lines around her eyes.

They bicker sometimes. Always in harmony, even when at odds. The blonde has infinite patience for the brunette and her bad days. The brunette always warms to the blonde like she has to no member of staff or other resident. Looks at her with eyes deep with everything worthwhile. It makes the nurse smile, because they are the epitome of old married couple.

 

* * *

 

 

Emma decides it’s a chess day. She strolls into the care home, chess set under her arm. She whistles. Because it’s a whistle-y kind of day. The sun is shining and Emma’s sunshine will be inside too. It is a good day.

Regina is silent. The other woman is sitting in her usual seat, a high backed armchair by the large glass windows. She is often staring out into the gardens when Emma arrives, as though she was observing her subjects. Today is no different. She's slighter than she used to be, but still cuts an imposing and impossibly graceful figure. Even with a walking frame place just at the side of the armchair.

It makes Emma smile.

Emma doesn’t say hi, she just sits down across from Regina, setting the chess set out on the little table between the chairs. She waits, sitting back, waits for Regina to notice her.

“Why are you smiling?”

Emma smiles at the suspicious woman, pulling her arms up to stretch before sitting forward and gesturing at the game.

“I wanted to play some chess today. Will you play with me?”

Regina narrows her eyes in that way she always does, head tilting. Emma can see the options flicking through those old eyes. Regina sighs with acceptance and turns more towards the game board.

“White goes first,” Emma, ever gallant (and it’s the rules anyway) points to Regina’s side of the board and the woman scoffs.

“I know. It’s been a long time since I played chess. Not since my son-“ She drifts off, fingers tentatively grasping at a pawn. She looks at the board like a battle field, before slowly moving the piece forward two squares. She nods, as though it’s the perfect move before looking up. “What is your name?”

“Emma.” Emma moves her pawn.

Regina hums, “Pleased to meet you, Em-ma.” She says the name like she’s tasting it. It makes Emma shiver with a million memories. “I knew an Emma once, though I can’t remember...”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

They fall silent again. A small smile plays at Emma’s lips and she follows the decisive movement of Regina’s arm moving another piece.

“What was she like?” Emma prompts, moving her knight out into the battlefield.

“Beautiful,” Regina muses, absent-minded. She looks out the window again. “She was beautiful. And a total pain in my ass.”

Emma blows out a breath of laughter, nodding.

“She was beautiful,” Regina repeats, miles away. Her eyes are unfocussed. “Presumptive. Mother of my son.” She turns back to the game and takes Emma’s pawn. “You remind me of her actually.”

“You have a son?”

Regina smiles, and it takes Emma’s breath away. It makes the sunlight look like a dirty street lamp.

“He… Henry…” Regina looks thoughtful. “He is just about to have his first child with his wife.”

“Congratulations.”

The brunette nods, eyes focussing on the game again. “It’s your turn.”

Emma makes her move, eyes not leaving Regina. “Thank you for telling me.” Regina looks up and returns Emma’s smile with a small one of her own. It’s not quite the sunrise she gave at the mention of Henry. But it still lights up the empty corridors in Emma’s mind.

“Tell me more about Emma.”

“Infuriating.”

“She sounds like quite the woman.”

Regina takes another pawn, “She was.”

They fall silent again, taking their moves one after the other. Regina is steadily beating Emma, not that the blonde cares.

It takes a while, and they both get a cup of tea from the fondly smiling nurse who floats in and out of the room. It takes a while but Regina starts talking.

“I was in love once.”

“Just the once?” Emma can’t help but quip.

Regina snorts. The noise is at odds with the regal bearing of the other woman, and she sits back, crossing her legs. Her hands fold into her lap and she looks out the window again.

Emma has never been very good at taking her eyes off Regina, and today is no different.

“I’ve been in love before. But not all consuming love. Not this kind of love.” She glances at Emma briefly, cheeks colouring before looking down apologetically. “I’m sorry, I don’t know why I’m telling you this.”

“You can tell me anything.”

Regina looks up again, the small smile back. She smiles like she has a secret. Like she knows the meaning of the world and of life. “I don’t think we’ve met before today, but I think I can.”

“How does the story start? How did you meet Emma?”

The older woman smiles consiprationally, leaning forward, “Well it’s funny, we didn’t always get on. In fact we fought like cats and dogs. But over time, things changed.” She sighs. “Oh how they changed.”

This is Emma’s favourite story.

She hears it every day.

She’ll hear it tomorrow.

 

* * *

 

 

Emma jerks awake at the sound of her phone. She’s groggy and disorientated, but years of reaching for her phone guides her hand with no mistakes.

“Sher-,” She coughs, “Emma speaking.”

“Hi Emma, it’s the nurse from Brooke Residence. I think it’s time.”

Emma is now properly awake, her heart making that thump-plink feeling in her chest. It’s time.

“Thanks, I’ll be there soon.”

She gets dressed and makes her way to Regina.

It’s time.

She’s not ready.

She never will be.

But… It’s time.

The nurse, always the same nurse, opens the door and smiles sadly. “I’m sorry to wake you, but I know you’d want to be here.”

Emma nods, mute, she has no words. Needs no words. The home is very different in the quiet of night. They pad through the corridor to Regina’s room. She’s not been here often, Emma muses. Regina tends to haunt the sitting room. The nurse slows and turns to face Emma.

They don’t need words, this has all been discussed before. Miles in advance. Back when Regina was still lucid most of the time.

“She’s been awake most of the night, her breathing is a little laboured, so don’t be scared.”

“Of her? Emma smiles, her eyes glassy before she blinks rapidly. “Never.”

The nurse nods understandingly. “If you need anything-“

“Yup,” Emma’s eyes dart between the door and the nurse several times.

“Ok, good night.”

“Good night.”

Emma looks at the floor for a few moments, taking some deep gulping breaths. She doesn’t know how exactly she’s going to explain why she’s in Regina’s bedroom but she’s sure she’ll charm her. She did always have a way with Regina. She knocks quietly and hears Regina’s voice, low and soft, asking whoever it is to enter. So she does.

There’s a lamp casting a warm dim light over the small room and Regina is small and frail in her bed.

“Emma…” It’s like a glass of cool water on the hottest day and Emma is all choked up in an instant. She’s on her knees, ignoring the pain of her joints and grasping Regina’s outstretched hand. She’s kissing the back of it, nose pressed into paper thin skin. Tears are streaming down her face. She doesn’t care.

Regina doesn’t move much, but her grip is strong. “My Emma.” She sighs. Her voice is weak. “How long?”

Emma gasps back a sob. “It’s been four years since your last lucid spell. Regina” Her voice breaks and she’s pressing her forehead against Regina’s fingers. “Oh god.”

She feels Regina’s other hand on her hair, cupping her cheek. “Emma,” She murmurs. “Henry!” The name is a benediction and a question all at once.

“He’s fine. Dorothy and Jenny are all well. I called him but he’s in Cairo, he’s on his way.”

“Jenny..." Regina sighs. "I’m going to die soon.”

“Regina –“

“Hush Emma, It’s time.”

All Emma can do is nod sadly. She can’t keep a straight face. She’s spent the last twenty years  visiting her wife, most of the time a stranger. She loves Regina with everything she is. She think’s she’s always loved her.

They are quiet, nothing needs to be said. They've said everything they ever needed to say to each other through years of fighting and their lives and souls growing ever more entwined. They have had a great love. They listen to each other breathe. Emma’s hitching and erratic, Regina’s slow, and growing fainter.

“Please don’t leave me,” Emma whispers. She thought she would be the strong, steady one when the time came but Regina is the one scoffing and pulling the blond over to press a gentle kiss to her lips.

Emma settles back, alarmed at the distant look suddenly passing over Regina’s face.

“Who-“

“No!” Emma desperately clings to Regina’s hand as the other woman tries to pull away. She kisses the back of it again, her eyesight blurring from tears. “Please don’t go.”

Regina doesn’t struggle, instead she gets an intense look on her face and lays her head down, looking at Emma. She chews on her pale lips. Regina with pale lips doesn’t look right. She looks at Emma for a good long while, her brow furrowed.

Slowly, steadily, Regina starts to smile again. It’s like the sunrise once more. Emma can’t help but smile back. Her heart feels heavy and light all at once. She knows it’s coming.

Regina closes her eyes, her hand loosening around Emma’s. The blonde shakes her head slowly, her face scrunching up as the inevitable moment comes.

“My Emma…”

Regina takes her last breath, quietly. Emma lays her head on the other woman’s breast, tears flowing freely as her shoulders shake.

“Goodbye my love.” 


End file.
